Montana Drivers Are Limiting Themselves Average Speeds Up Only Slightly Since Speed Limit Repealed

Montanans have not responded to the end of the national speed limit by stomping on their accelerators, and that could be a sign that the state does not need a daytime limit, a transportation official said Wednesday.

Al Goke, head of the state Highway Traffic Safety Division, said that monitoring sites around the state have not observed any significant increase in driving speeds since the federal limit disappeared Dec. 8.

Before then, 85 percent of motorists cruised at 72 mph or less. In the last three weeks, that rate has crept up only to 74 mph, Goke said.

“I don’t think we’re losing anything yet,” he said. “I’m being cautiously optimistic. It gives us some hope that we’re going to hang on to things just fine.”

Some state officials, including many Highway Patrol officers, have feared that loss of the 65 mph daytime limit on interstate highways and the 55 mph limit on two-lane routes will encourage drivers to test their new freedom with high speeds.

Gov. Marc Racicot and Attorney General Joe Mazurek have said they plan to ask the 1997 Legislature to impose some daytime limits.

Goke said that if early results are any indication, that may not be necessary.

“If the public keeps responding the way they have, especially into the spring and summer months, I would see no reason to impose speed controls beyond what we have now,” Goke said.

The real test, according to Goke, will come this summer when the annual flood of tourists arrives in Montana, which has received national attention for its lack of a daytime speed limit.

Out-of-state motorists may come here and think that high speeds are commonplace, he said.

Although most drivers appear to have reacted conservatively so far, Goke has found evidence of a slight increase in the number of motorists driving faster than most.

When the speed limit was in place, about 2 percent of drivers topped 80 mph. Now, monitoring stations show 5 percent drive that fast.

Col. Craig Reap, Highway Patrol chief, said his officers confirm that most motorists are driving faster than before, “but we’re not seeing a dramatic increase.”

Drivers seem to realize the law still requires them to maintain a “reasonable and proper” speed during daytime and that they can be ticketed for failing to do so, he said.

Reap is not convinced the full impact of the speed limit change has been felt yet.

“There’s a minority of people who will gradually push the envelope to just see how far they can go,” he said.

In a related development, an advisory committee has recommended that state employees driving government vehicles should not have a special speed limit.

Goke said the panel decided last week that “If we’re expecting the general public to drive reasonably and prudently, then we should not have greater expectations put upon one group of people.”